Group Rules

SPRING REMINDER - PLEASE DO NOT post any images of birds on nests or eggs/young in nests, as they will be removed - (see main rules for clarification)

* GROUP RULES *

1) Please ensure the photo includes a *native* bird, mammal or insect.

2) Photos of non-British-natives,(ie. those not recognised as native by the BOU, The Wildlife Trust or the Forestry Commission), captive birds / animals or domestic birds / animals are not allowed in the group pool and will be removed.

If you are unsure about your bird, please check out the BOU link provided further down this page.

3) Please make the animal THE MAIN FOCUS of the shot and not a speck in the distance, or a silhouette, unless it shows behaviour, such as in starlings' murmuration or geese formation, because many members use the group for wildlife identification purposes.

(Artwork or digitised images that change the shape or colour of the subject, will be removed for the same reason.)

4) We do like to keep the page varied, so we ask you NOT to post more than ONE photo of the SAME animal at the SAME time; unless by doing so, you are showing a different identification point : e.g. the rear end of a mallard to show a close-up of the curly tail, the primary wing feathers of a bird in flight, another view of the bird's beak to show the shape, or an eye to show the supercilium.

(Three almost identical photos posted at the same time will result in two being removed – sorry.)

5) Please BEWARE of birds in sanctuaries - they are often NON-BRITISH species. Images of captive animals will be removed.

6 ) Rule on Nesting birds. It is against the law to disturb many bird species in the nest, or during the first few days of fledging. It is difficult to police those that are prohibited and those that are not, so we have a BLANKET ban and ask you NOT to post photos of nesting birds, eggs or parents feeding young in the nest to the group pool or in the threads. Any such photos will be removed.

Thank you.

Check out the link below to the BOU list (accepted birds are in categories A,B, and C) to help you decide whether your bird is native to the British Isles.

If you are not sure of the identity of your bird / animal / insect we do have a very active, (and knowledgeable) identification thread, where we will try to answer your query as quickly as possible.

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Please take the time to have a look at some of the other photos in the pool and leave a comment. We all like to get comments especially from those who share our interests, and whereas it isn't obligatory, it would be nice if you could find time to comment on other photos in the pool. Thank you.